Truth
by K'Arthur
Summary: Post Suikoden IV. Lino En Kuldes broaches a tender subject. Warning: Major Spoilers


**Truth  
By  
K'Arthur**

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Lino had known the boy was his the moment he set eyes on him. Nearly a year ago, when they had first met, he had mentioned it to Setsu, but the loyal servant only insisted that the King could be mistaken or driven by a senseless hope. But Lino knew otherwise. The boy was the right age, and the resemblance was hauntingly perfect. His eyes were entirely too azure and eager—just as his late wife's had been—and his mottled sandy hair had matched Lino's in every light at every angle. If that weren't enough proof, the boy's face continuously caused the king to wonder if he wasn't looking in a mirror that magically shaved twenty years or so off at each glance. From all of this, Lino knew that it wasn't misguided, blind optimism. It was the truth. And, perhaps now since the war had ended, the time had come to embrace it.

He found the boy—who called himself Lucas, though that was not the name he had been given at birth—walking toward the docks. The way he carried himself only solidified Lino's theory. He moved like the royalty of Obel usually did, his stride mimicking the sea—ordinary and unassuming, but forceful when necessary.

"Lucas," the king called, his voice carrying over the noise of the circling gulls. "Where are you heading?"

Tucking his hands protectively into the pockets of his dark shorts, the young man turned and then apprehensively approached the king. "I don't know," he said in an uneasy, distant voice. "But I do know that I don't want to go back to Razril."

Lino stood next to him, looking out at the water. "I understand. When you decide where you are going, any of my ships are yours for the taking."

"Thank you."

"Of course, you are welcome to stay here," Lino said with a grin.

Lucas nodded as the wind caught the tails of his red headband but said nothing.

"Lucas…" the older man said with reservation. He honestly wasn't sure how to proceed, nor what exactly what he wanted from the other after the truth came out. There was something to be said for just _saying_ it since it was so important—to him, to Lucas, and to the people of Obel. This wasn't the first attempt. No, that had been a moonless night on the ship. He'd tried to divulge the information by laying out hints as a dealer puts down cards—one at time, gauging his opponent with each flick of the wrist and never showing his whole hand. He supposed Lucas understood at least where he was going with the information, but the boy chose not pick up the cards. Whether it was because he didn't believe it or just didn't _want_ to know, Lino wasn't sure nor did he want to hazard a guess. Not when he was this close, at least.

"Yes?"

"I need to show you something," the king said hesitantly as he reached into his pocket and produced a small box with a golden knob on the side of it. With a nod to Lucas, he rolled the small crank between his thumb and forefinger a few times. When he was done, the box began to play a tinny lullaby.

Lucas seemed puzzled.

"Do you recognize this music?" Lino asked, his gaze following the boy's guarded expression carefully.

Lucas shook his head.

"Think harder."

Another moment, another dozen measures and the boy said, "No…sorry."

"Perhaps you were too young," Lino said as he tucked it back into the pocket of his shorts. "But Merica played it nearly every night before you went to sleep."

"Merica?"

Lino looked down into the boy's eyes. "My wife."

Lucas shook his head as he bit his lip nervously. "I'm sorry. I don't recognize it."

With a sigh, Lino took a much more direct approach, despite the discomfort the boy seemed to exhibit. "I mentioned to you the night before our battle at El-Eal that my wife was killed by that rune you wear and that at the same time my son was lost at sea. I told you then that I wasn't trying to replace a lost child, and I'm not. I'm not trying to replace anyone." He took a long breath. "I'm just telling you who you are."

"Who I am?" the boy whispered more to himself than to Lino. "I am Lucas, an exiled Knight of Razril."

"No," the king replied as he felt the words he'd restrained for so long finally escaping his lips. "Your name is Lazlo, and you are my son."

Whatever Lucas was thinking, Lino couldn't tell, even though their eyes were fixed on each other. "You know, I didn't sail for two years after Merica died. I hated the sea for what it took from me. I wanted nothing to do with it and I certainly didn't want to chance losing Flare to it. But I had to learn to trust it again—if only for the sake of the people of this island. I could not turn my back on them, nor on my duty as king simply because I was mourning the loss of my beloved wife and child."

There was a long moment consumed by only the cries of the gulls above them. "What do you want me to do?" Lucas asked.

"Whatever you want," Lino answered. "But know that this Kingdom will someday be rightfully yours—if you want it."

"You've already given me so much and I don't know that—"

Lino forced a smile. "Don't know that you _want_ to do it or that you _could_ do it? I said the same thing to my father when I was about your age."

Lucas returned a perfect mirror image of the grin before glancing down at the sand as if it had buried the words he wanted to say. After a pause, he scratched the back of his neck before answering the king. "This is quite a bit to learn. I'm not even sure…I mean, I like my name and—"

"You're not sure how to react to all of this," Lino finished for him.

The young man nodded quickly.

"I understand."

There was another pause, another long moment when both men held their thoughts and tongues in check before Lucas asked, "Lino, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"In all honesty, I wasn't sure how and I wasn't sure how you'd react." He placed a firm hand on his son's shoulder and gave a proud, paternal smile. "Revelations like this can drive people apart and I didn't want to risk losing you again. Someday, when you have your own children, you'll understand. It's better to know they are alive—even if they don't even recognize you—than to believe they are dead."

Lucas looked up at Lino and nodded slowly but did not speak. A few moments later, the gulls flew off towards the horizon and he embraced his father. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you for telling me the truth."


End file.
